Sunday, May 21, 2017

Victims as Heroes v Warriors as Heroes

Victims are our heroes. Survived an attack? You’re a hero. Survived a tough illness? You’re courageous; you’re a hero. Lived through a traumatic event through no action of your own? You’re a hero. Ours is a bizarre culture, because no one used to think of victims as heroes. Instead, people thought of warriors—killers and conquerors—as heroes. And stories can help us reclaim this rightful view of heroism. My fiction aims to do just that.

Jonathan Eig wrote, “Why You’ve Heard Of Jessica Lynch, Not Zan Hornbuckle – As Sentiment About War Evolves, Victims Grab Attention, Not Fighters,” for The Wall Street Journal in 2003. It’s a long read but the story and analysis are worth your time.

Gene Edward Veith of World Magazine noticed the article at the time of its publication and wrote a column of his own about it. Here are some of the insights he had in, “Victims as heroes – Sentimentality has replaced both martial virtues and clear thinking.” . . .